Imagine this. You get a terrible cold, you’re sick as a dog, your boyfriend gets you juice, soup (Pho from down the street), the works. Then you get better, fly to Florida for your parents’ 40th wedding anniversary, and while there, your boyfriend breaks the news: he has your cold. You’re not there to help, though, so when you return on Sunday–and he’s at the peak of his illness–you know you have to spring into action. You’ve gotta make up for all the TLC you weren’t there to give him during the first two days of his illness. Upon landing at the airport, you rush to the grocery store and stock up on everything you need to make the ultimate cold cure, Jewish penicillin: chicken soup. Only, you want to make it fast.

The results were so terrific, this may be my new go-to technique. You’re basically making a double-strength stock. Here’s how it works.

Buy a bunch of skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 8) and put them in your biggest pot or Dutch oven:

Cover them with boxed chicken stock, the best you can find (I used that Kitchen Essentials one which I like) and to the mix add a whole carrot, a whole piece of celery, a whole onion, a turnip or two, a parsnip and some dill:

Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook for an hour.

That’s it. What you’ve done is infused that boxed stock with classic chicken soup flavors while also cooking the chicken and allowing that raw chicken to enhance the stock even more. After an hour, remove the chicken and vegetables with tongs:

Adjust the broth for salt and then add chopped carrots, onions and celery:

Parsley, dill and egg noodles:

Allow them all to cook–about 8 minutes or so–until the vegetables are tender and the noodles are done. Oh and shred the cooked chicken with your fingers and throw that back in there too. Here you are, homemade chicken soup in one hour:

Nice, right? Not to brag, but Craig was almost 100% better the next day. He credits the chicken soup. I credit myself. The point is, this is a recipe to lock away in your brain forever. It’s a miracle-worker.

You and I must’ve been on the same wavelength! After your Asian- inspired chicken soup post, I followed your recipe. It was a pain, though, to take e ,eat off the cut-up, whole chicken. So, the next batch I made, I used chicken thighs. MUCH easier to take the meat off and it dramatically reduces the chance of stray bones ending up in your soup. The NEXT batch, I took the skin off about 6 of the 8 thighs. Less fat to skim off later as a result!

Mike in Palm Springs

Typo. Take the meat off the whole chicken

Karen in Dallas

Good one. While it takes a few more minutes I do like to get a good brown sear on the chicken. Even though the skin comes off in the end I think it just makes for an broth with more depth. I’ve never used dill. Will definitely try it because I like dill a bunch in other things!

Karen in Dallas

Good one. While it takes a few more minutes I do like to get a good brown sear on the chicken. Even though the skin comes off in the end I think it just makes for an broth with more depth. I’ve never used dill. Will definitely try it because I like dill a bunch in other things!

Bear_Ebooks

I make something really similar based off Albert Burneko’s recipe from the always amazing/hilarious Foodspin over at Gawker. The only differences are acini di pepe for the pasta and the addition of tiny pork meatballs, which are a total game changer.

BobYes

Your top pic took my breath away I could so use it today. How do you clarify your soup to get that beautiful broth so yellow and clean?

Adam Amateur Gourmet

No extra steps or anything… that’s just how it comes out! Good luck.

Hany Neno Neno

But what about the fats in this kind of soup

Hany Neno Neno

But what about the fats in this kind of soup

Hany Neno Neno

But what about the fats in this kind of soup

Hany Neno Neno

But what about the fats in this kind of soup

Hany Neno Neno

But what about the fats in this kind of soup

BobYes

Dill and chicken soup are like tomatoes and basel.

WendyR

I’m making cold-killing chicken soup right now! I always use boxed stock and add lots of veggies, plus a couple Tbsp of tomato paste for more rich flavor.

BobYes

To my experience, chicken soup needs some good chicken fat. Most time, however, you can let it sit in a gravy separator, or put in the fridge and remove the fat layer once its cooled and adjust the fat level to your liking.

Question – why do you leave the onion whole (and unpeeled)? Wouldn’t you extract more flavor if you cut it in half? And did you peel the turnips – they look unpeeled in the first pic, yet peel free in the second…thanks Adam!

Meghanssj

I like it! But, I’ve always been a parsley in my chicken noodle soup kind of girl. Dill is different and it scares me, but I think I’ll have to try it. I’m glad you credit yourself, your a healer! ;)

Adam Amateur Gourmet

Cutting the onion in half would work great, though the whole onion technique works well too. As for the turnips, I didn’t peel them!

Rodney Rouse

Jeff Smith (Frugal Gourmet) recommended not peeling the onion or carrot when building a stock because it created a richer color. I also roast my whole veggies before they go into the stockpot but that would blow the 1 hr theme.

http://baobaotown.blogspot.com/ hunteryz

This soup looks healthy and easy!

Arlyn Lichthardt

We have a chicken ritual in our house that always starts with a whole bird, roasted. By the time we get to making soup, it’s with left-overs, and I’m sure it wouldn’t qualify as a home remedy for anything other than hunger. However, it does offer an opportunity to use the barley we were given some time ago. It might be a good substitute for your egg noodles

d radford

Zero comments?! sounds PERF

s

You seem to get sick a lot. If you saved all of your bones from all of these batches of soup put a little vinegar on them, covered them with water and cooked them forever (all day) and used THAT as a base for a batch of soup you would have something super mineral rich and nourishing.

Arben Acorb

I love pasta but I haven’t seen a pasta with veggies and soup. But it still looks amazing. I sure wanna try this at home, I’m sure my grandmother will love this.
Need a therapists? Were born to lead an extraordinary life, we help you create this with our next level of training.

Linder

So . . . the turnips and parsley help flavor the stock but then don’t get chopped and put in the soup, correct? Thanks.

Linder

So . . . the turnips and parsley help flavor the stock but then don’t get chopped and put in the soup, correct? Thanks.

Linder

So . . . the turnips and parsley help flavor the stock but then don’t get chopped and put in the soup, correct? Thanks.

Adam Amateur Gourmet

Correct!

Anton Heggen

Try to put them in cubed. If U like it, it’s correct. Take some out earlier so they still have a bite to them.

Anton Heggen

Try to put them in cubed. If U like it, it’s correct. Take some out earlier so they still have a bite to them.

Androdian.DATTA

DATTA SAYS: Adam Amateur Gourmette-How Can I Quit’choo! You Make Me Soooo Hungry!

Angela Clark

As a college student cramming for midterms, as well as finals, I don’t have the time to spare to prepare some well done up meal. This meal is great. It is exciting, as well as simple. I might try this recipe tonight.

MrSteve

approximately how much soup does this make, and can rice be substituted for noodles?

Bryan Lane

Adam: My girlfriend calls this “the best soup in the world.” I made a batch and we ate half of it immediately. The other half was frozen in zip lock bags in one bowl settings. She loved being able to pull out a bag, warm it and eat this incredible soup. Now that all those bags are gone I am preparing the “second coming” of this soup tonight.

Shemp312

Looks healthy too!

Beth in Philadelphia

My boyfriend and I made this recipe a few weeks ago and are STILL talking about it. This is hands-down the best chicken noodle soup I have ever had – and I have two Jewish grandmothers! It was delightfully simple and we can’t wait to make it again :)